I feel for the vets with PTSD, and anyone else with it - which can include more than the typical veteran, abuse victim, disaster survivor, etc. The general public really needs to educate themselves on that stereotype....

DeathByGeekSquad:I feel for the vets with PTSD, and anyone else with it - which can include more than the typical veteran, abuse victim, disaster survivor, etc. The general public really needs to educate themselves on that stereotype....

PTSD is really under-recognized, and under treated. And with the end of the Iraq/Afgani campaigns, it's going to be a worse burdon on the civilian healthcare system. Especially since the military has done such a swimming* job of treating it.

DeathByGeekSquad:I feel for the vets with PTSD, and anyone else with it - which can include more than the typical veteran, abuse victim, disaster survivor, etc. The general public really needs to educate themselves on that stereotype....

To all the vets for whom July 4th and Veterans Day is a day of mixed emotions and remembrance...

Thank you. Some out here in civvie-land still see it as more than a day off work, And we know that your duties and jobs were not without sacrifice and loss. Thank you for what you've contributed for our country.

CSB: Had a friend who came home from Iraq and he moved in with us. He would wake up in the middle of the night and just be sitting in the dinning room bc of all the little noises in the house. He said it reminded him of when they would get mortared in the middle of the night or day or whenever they happened. He barely slept a few hours every night. Funny thing though is that he LOVED the 4th of July. He would always buy tons of fireworks and was never bothered by that kinda stuff. Just sudden noises in his sleep.

I detest Tom Cruise, but I keep thinking of the scene in Born on the Fourth of July,in which he flinches at every firecracker and mortar going off, as he saw the WWII vets doing during the Memorial Day parade as a child.

I worked with a guy that I didn't know had PTSD. A bunch of us went to go see Saving Private Ryan when it came out and he came along. Didn't get too far into the invasion before he FTFO and needed to leave. I went after him to find out what was wrong and he told me it brought up memories of when he was in the war. I said, "Dan, you're Korean. When where you ever in a war."

hardinparamedic:Peki: You know, my friend mentioned this to me, since I have PTSD. I was like, eh, I have a problem with knocking, it'll be okay.

Two fricking gunshots near my house and I dove under the table. I was not amused.

/not enough weed and beer, methinks. . .

I can't imagine going through that. Have you been getting therapy for it?

No. The county mental health clinic offers 6 counseling sessions per year, and won't deal with me because I'm MMJ (they want to put me on 15 different meds, including meds for symptoms I *don't* have), when really, I only need two: the MJ and maybe Seroquel for the anxiety. The Seroquel actually worked well enough that I could hold a gun in my lap without collapsing into a fit of tears at the sight of the BOX the gun was in and having to run into the other room. I also need long-term exposure therapy, but I can't find a free social program that offers it.

I've done other things for my mental health to cope, but no, as far as California is concerned, I'm on my own.

/have two last ditch efforts still up my sleeve. One is going to Los Angeles county hospital downtown, the other is a friend's therapist who handled her PTSD after she was the victim of a school shooting who has offered to see me for free, but (and yes, I realize how cowardly this sounds) the anxiety really makes it almost impossible for me to pick up the phone.

Peki:o. The county mental health clinic offers 6 counseling sessions per year, and won't deal with me because I'm MMJ (they want to put me on 15 different meds, including meds for symptoms I *don't* have), when really, I only need two: the MJ and maybe Seroquel for the anxiety. The Seroquel actually worked well enough that I could hold a gun in my lap without collapsing into a fit of tears at the sight of the BOX the gun was in and having to run into the other room. I also need long-term exposure therapy, but I can't find a free social program that offers it.

I've done other things for my mental health to cope, but no, as far as California is concerned, I'm on my own.

/have two last ditch efforts still up my sleeve. One is going to Los Angeles county hospital downtown, the other is a friend's therapist who handled her PTSD after she was the victim of a school shooting who has offered to see me for free, but (and yes, I realize how cowardly this sounds) the anxiety really makes it almost impossible for me to pick up the phone.

What the hell did you go through, man? If you don't want to say, I understand why and won't push the matter, but are you ex-military?

GBB:I worked with a guy that I didn't know had PTSD. A bunch of us went to go see Saving Private Ryan when it came out and he came along. Didn't get too far into the invasion before he FTFO and needed to leave. I went after him to find out what was wrong and he told me it brought up memories of when he was in the war. I said, "Dan, you're Korean. When where you ever in a war."

Little did I know....

funny cause I had a similar situation happen. My father in law is Viet.

Peki:hardinparamedic: Peki: You know, my friend mentioned this to me, since I have PTSD. I was like, eh, I have a problem with knocking, it'll be okay.

Two fricking gunshots near my house and I dove under the table. I was not amused.

/not enough weed and beer, methinks. . .

I can't imagine going through that. Have you been getting therapy for it?

No. The county mental health clinic offers 6 counseling sessions per year, and won't deal with me because I'm MMJ (they want to put me on 15 different meds, including meds for symptoms I *don't* have), when really, I only need two: the MJ and maybe Seroquel for the anxiety. The Seroquel actually worked well enough that I could hold a gun in my lap without collapsing into a fit of tears at the sight of the BOX the gun was in and having to run into the other room. I also need long-term exposure therapy, but I can't find a free social program that offers it.

I've done other things for my mental health to cope, but no, as far as California is concerned, I'm on my own.

/have two last ditch efforts still up my sleeve. One is going to Los Angeles county hospital downtown, the other is a friend's therapist who handled her PTSD after she was the victim of a school shooting who has offered to see me for free, but (and yes, I realize how cowardly this sounds) the anxiety really makes it almost impossible for me to pick up the phone.

Have you put in a claim with the VA? Takes forever, but if you haven't, it'd be good to get the ball rolling on it at least.

buckler:I detest Tom Cruise, but I keep thinking of the scene in Born on the Fourth of July,in which he flinches at every firecracker and mortar going off, as he saw the WWII vets doing during the Memorial Day parade as a child.

He's an odd dude but a decent actor. Few movies have made me cry but that was one of them.

hardinparamedic:What the hell did you go through, man? If you don't want to say, I understand why and won't push the matter, but are you ex-military?

No, but I've had POWs buy me a drink because they know I get it.

The list is long but distinguished. Basically, I've had major trauma pretty much every two years in my life (starting when I was 3), and from 2006-2008 it was one every year (2006 saw me experience an armed home invasion, and then the double-homicide of coworkers a month later, 2007 was finding out and dealing with my bio father stealing/spending/mismanaging to the tune of $500,000, and 2008 got me calling the FBI to turn my now-ex-husband in for child pron). Any one would send me to therapy for life. Altogether, I get PTSD. :P

I'm coping better, but normal employment is beyond me at this point. Volunteering for church is about all the pressure I can handle, so unless I find someone willing to hire me part-time, low-pressure, and able to accommodate if I can't work because of construction or because I had an episode of my sleep disorder that night. Plus I have other problems too, like having psoriasis all over my face so I look like I came from a face-painting party with three-year-olds, and a work history that is shot all to shiat because of the stuff I've experienced (would YOU stay in town when you've been robbed at gunpoint and two of your friends are dead?? Didn't think so). . . And disability? You can throw that right out the window, because that's a three year process if you're lucky. And the old docs wouldn't sign off because of the MMJ.

If I were ex-military, I would have a LOT more resources available to me. Civilian PTSD is all but ignored.

I got a buddy of mine who can't stand fireworks. He was in the gulf. It really pissed him off, because he plays a game called World of Tanks. The login garage had a fireworks celebration for 2 months around Nov 11th. He was not a happy camper, since he uses booze and games to deal with his shiatty stuff.

Thank you. Some out here in civvie-land still see it as more than a day off work, And we know that your duties and jobs were not without sacrifice and loss. Thank you for what you've contributed for our country.

this goes for me to. my oldest daughter and i were held at in gunpoint in our apartment years back. i was mainly worried that it would adversely affect her but she still sees the good in people..i. still am not the same but still in therapy so maybe someday. it is paralyzing and i hate that so many live this way, my heart goes out to our brave men and women serving and anyone who has suffered this debilitating sickness, the aftermath of trauma is just as bad as the event(s) that came to pass..maybe worse even bc it never lets up, it never lets go

These men are no longer fit to do the job the government spent millions of dollars training them to do, and now all they do is lie around, soaking up pensions. It's a FISCAL REALITY. The sooner life "resolves out the problem for us", the better, right?

Why else would the US government completely gut any and all support for PTSD?

Meh, a lot of people have baggage from life here or abroad. I always enjoy the fireworks and even get a little misty looking around at the families having a good time. What really bothers me tho, is some assholes throwing a M80 next to the port-a-john while I'm inside on an otherwise quiet afternoon sipping beers out at the marina./not friends with them any more.

OregonVet:What really bothers me tho, is some assholes throwing a M80 next to the port-a-john while I'm inside on an otherwise quiet afternoon sipping beers out at the marina./not friends with them any more.

OregonVet:Meh, a lot of people have baggage from life here or abroad. I always enjoy the fireworks and even get a little misty looking around at the families having a good time. What really bothers me tho, is some assholes throwing a M80 next to the port-a-john while I'm inside on an otherwise quiet afternoon sipping beers out at the marina./not friends with them any more.

all 'baggage' aside we do enjoy the fireworks but i feel for those who physically cannot deal, it's a legitimate sickness both mentally and physically. what bothers me is being dismissive to those having a little 'baggage' just bc it hasn't been experienced first hand to most.

OregonVet:Meh, a lot of people have baggage from life here or abroad. I always enjoy the fireworks and even get a little misty looking around at the families having a good time. What really bothers me tho, is some assholes throwing a M80 next to the port-a-john while I'm inside on an otherwise quiet afternoon sipping beers out at the marina./not friends with them any more.

Yeah, pretty much the same here. Families lighting off a few fireworks in the day, no problem. Normal city celebrations are also not an issue. The A-holes who speed down the street a 2am and throw M-80s and strings of firecrackers out their car windows are lucky they haven't been shot yet. I've locked up all my weapons and given the key to someone else this week but I've still found myself moving out to engage.

It is ironic though that my first large scale firefight happened in the early morning hours on July the 3rd and the first thought in my sleep addled brain was "Wow, 4th of July came early look at all the fireworks.... oh sh*t those are tracers and rpgs."

I hope everyone has a great Independence Day and hopefully articles like this one make a few people rethink how they plan to set off their fireworks.

/have two last ditch efforts still up my sleeve. One is going to Los Angeles county hospital downtown, the other is a friend's therapist who handled her PTSD after she was the victim of a school shooting who has offered to see me for free, but (and yes, I realize how cowardly this sounds) the anxiety really makes it almost impossible for me to pick up the phone.

It's interesting you should mention the thing about the phone. I also have been diagnosed with PTSD, and it's almost impossible for me to make phone calls, even to people I know. It's very frustrating.

If you've ever seen the First World War documentaries based on the Hew Strachan books, they talk about a British soldier who was shell-shocked from his time in the trenches. He had lost all long-term memory, and could barely communicate with doctors and nurses. The only word he seemed to understand was "bomb", and that would send him into a frenzied dive under his bed.

Heh. Speech is actually becoming a bit difficult for me. I can type like a mofo, so it's not communicating that I have a problem with, but man, my mouth opens and nothing comes out. I get that thousand-yard stare because I can't think of how to describe the images I'm seeing in front of me. It's too. . . now?

I remember the first month I moved in with my (now) Husband. We got an apartment near a high school. The first homecoming game was...interesting. The fireworks and BOOMS were going off all around. By coincidence, there was also a police helicopter circling. The was my first exposure to PTSD. He's from Belfast.

I took my family to Hawaii for Christmas and New Years a couple weeks after coming home from Afghanistan. I had been on a remote FOB and was never fired at directly after 200 + trips outside the wire. So I was really surprised at how angry and agitated I became every night listening to the locals blowing offM-80s and other fireworks in the week between the holidays. I attributed it to being hyper vigilant every day for 10 months. I'm better now.Just to demonstrate how insidious PTSD is, A co-worker who was deeply involve with the Black Hawk down mission in Somalia killed Himself in 2011 after dealing with those demons after almost 20 years.If you have it, get help.If you know someone who might have it, try to get them to get help.

These men are no longer fit to do the job the government spent millions of dollars training them to do, and now all they do is lie around, soaking up pensions. It's a FISCAL REALITY. The sooner life "resolves out the problem for us", the better, right?

Why else would the US government completely gut any and all support for PTSD?

The VA does do a lot of outreach to help suicidal vets. The catch is that the suicidal vets have to seek help or be talked to by a friend who recognizes the symptoms. Unfortunately, this assumes that the vet isn't antisocial and is willing to contact "the government" for help, and PTSD may rule a lot of that out.

WordyGrrl:weltallica: The government isn't worried. They'll just commit SUICIDE.

These men are no longer fit to do the job the government spent millions of dollars training them to do, and now all they do is lie around, soaking up pensions. It's a FISCAL REALITY. The sooner life "resolves out the problem for us", the better, right?

Why else would the US government completely gut any and all support for PTSD?

The VA does do a lot of outreach to help suicidal vets. The catch is that the suicidal vets have to seek help or be talked to by a friend who recognizes the symptoms. Unfortunately, this assumes that the vet isn't antisocial and is willing to contact "the government" for help, and PTSD may rule a lot of that out.

VA Medical Centers/VA PTSD Clinics locator

PTSD Help for vets and non-vets

/Our office does Voc Rehab, but we have lots of info available on all kinds of social service agencies, just in case anybody needs them.

Make sure when you're handing out links that you check what they are actually offering. The VA link has almost nil in terms of non-vet services, and those that are you have to be in immediate danger of hurting yourself or others. I just can't work.

SomeoneDumb:DeathByGeekSquad: I feel for the vets with PTSD, and anyone else with it - which can include more than the typical veteran, abuse victim, disaster survivor, etc. The general public really needs to educate themselves on that stereotype....

DeathByGeekSquad:I feel for the vets with PTSD, and anyone else with it - which can include more than the typical veteran, abuse victim, disaster survivor, etc. The general public really needs to educate themselves on that stereotype....

I was going to say that it can be a rough day for anyone with PTSD, including veterans.